Devlin told MailSport : “The real low point was when I left Stenhousemuir. I didn’t see eye to eye with Booth. My contract ran out and they didn’t want to keep me.

“That was a year after leaving Motherwell and I was worried. Motherwell’s decision to release me was actually the right one. Stuart McCall had Tom Hateley at right-back who never missed a game. They’d finished second in the league so I was never going to force my way in.

“But now I was being released by Stenny, a Scottish League One club. Where do you go from there?

“It was difficult to see a future in the game. I started to question whether it was going to happen.

“I was even thinking about going back to play for my boys’ club team or my dad’s team.

“But thankfully I landed on my feet at Ayr. I have a lot to thank Mark Roberts for because he took me in when others weren’t keen.

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“Now, three years later, I’m starting the season in England’s League One. That’s a big jump from leaving Stenny.

“The situations are chalk and cheese. Back then I felt professional football was done for me. So getting to this point gives me a real sense of achievement and pride.

“There’s a long way to go but I want to kick on. Who knows where we might end up? There’s nothing to stop Walsall challenging at the top end of the table.

“If the team’s doing well hopefully I’m doing well – and I might even get the chance to play at a higher level.”

If you speak to Ian McCall or anyone at Ayr, they’ll tell you that Devlin has been sensational for two seasons.

So what changed in between being dumped by Stenny and excelling in the Championship against the likes of Hibs and Dundee United?

Ayr United captain Nicky Devlin (Image: SNS Group)

According to the defender, the faith McCall showed by making him skipper was a pivotal moment in his career.

He said: “The big turning point was when the gaffer made me captain at Ayr. That added responsibility was new for me. And when it happened I knew within myself that I had to improve and work on my game. I hope that’s why people have seen a change in me over the last two years.

“We didn’t have a great season in the Championship but, personally, I felt I got better.

“Moving up a division also brought my game on, I was playing with better players.

“But the captaincy, and the faith the manager showed in me, was the key moment.

“I was overwhelmed when he told me. He’d signed boys who were more experienced and probably better equipped to be the leader in the dressing-room.

“Paddy Boyle had been captain at Airdrie, Peter Murphy was skipper at Carlisle and Conrad Balatoni came in. So he could have gone for others. I’ll always be grateful to the gaffer for having that belief in me, I owe him a lot.

Devlin became Ayr's youngest skipper in more than 100 years (Image: SNS Group)

“Maybe that faith was something I didn’t have from managers earlier in my career. Some people don’t like that added pressure but I seemed to thrive on it.

“And it has brought my game on a level. I know I’m not the best player in the world but at Ayr I went into every match feeling like I was one of the top men in the team.”

The challenge for Devlin now is to shine in England’s League One against some huge clubs.

Certainly, warm-up games against Villa and West Brom will provide a stiffer test than he’s used to up here. And having turned down top-flight teams in Scotland to try his luck in the Midlands, he’s determined to be successful.

Devlin said: “As soon as Walsall were interested I just wanted to pack my bags. It was a chance I couldn’t turn down.

“I had options in the Scottish Premiership and a few in League Two in England.

“But as soon as Walsall came in, I wanted to go. It’s League One and there are some massive clubs at this level.

“Our two pre-season friendlies showed it up. A year ago at Ayr we played in the Gretna Tournament. No disrespect but we played South Shields who are two levels below the National League and Gretna 08, a Lowland League side.